Much ado about 'parent trigger'

No matter what side you are on, the "parent trigger" bill is a lesson in the worst kind of politicking.

Heated accusations of ulterior motives? Plenty.

Using kids as pawns? You bet.

High-level interference by the governor's office? Of course.

"Parent trigger" is hands down the most explosive education bill being debated in Tallahassee this year.

And it's sad, really.

Not because "parent trigger" isn't important, but because education administrators and politicians have far more pressing concerns.

Florida should focus every ounce of its energy on making sure there's a smooth transition to Common Core. That's the name for the new, tougher curriculum standards in math and English that Florida and other states have approved.

Common Core will alter — for the better — what kids learn, how they learn it and how we measure if they're learning enough. This is what will make sure our kids have a chance at the good jobs against the competition from world-class education systems such as Finland's and Singapore's.

Getting that right should outweigh all the haranguing on divisive issues such as teacher evaluations and "parent trigger." Remember, most teachers, unions and state education officials actually agree on Common Core.

But, as is typical for this state, we're wasting time with political gamesmanship over a bill that both sides are making a bigger stink over than it's worth.

"Parent trigger" is a proposal that would allow parents who have kids at a school that received two F's in a row to select the plan to turn the school around — whether that's bringing in a new administration or even turning the campus over to the private management of a charter-school company.

Cue the accusations of ulterior motives. Opponents say the bill is a guise to give charter profiteers a leg up and further push an agenda to privatize public education.

Supporters of "parent trigger" say those opponents are just afraid of accountability.

It has all the makings of a reincarnation of Senate Bill 6, the controversial teacher merit-pay law that passed in 2010 and was vetoed by Gov. Charlie Crist as he headed into a contentious U.S. Senate race. Crist wanted the teachers on his side, so he killed merit pay.

Looks as if Gov. Rick Scott may be trying to keep history from repeating itself.

Scott is also heading into a re-election. He also wants teachers on his side. That much is apparent by his budget, which gives teachers across-the-board raises.

What Scott doesn't want is to have to decide whether to veto "parent trigger."

That problem may have been solved last week when Sen. David Simmons introduced and passed an amendment that gutted the bill.

Simmons, a Republican from Altamonte Springs, changed the bill so that the final say on the turnaround plan for a failing school would rest with the local school board rather than the state.

Education Commissioner Tony Bennett laid the groundwork for that change with a letter to legislators last month expressing concerns about the bill — a move Scott was fine with and even encouraged.

A Scott spokeswoman said that the governor "believes the bill is headed in the right direction."

Whether it helps Scott avoid a political land mine depends on how hard "parent-trigger" supporters push to ditch the amendment.

The bottom line is that "parent trigger," if passed, is unlikely to be the scary private takeover of schools that opponents fear.

But it also isn't worth the political capital supporters will likely have to burn to get it passed.

And, of course, they all say their motives are rooted in what's best for our children.

If the governor and everybody else could spend as much time making sure they get Common Core right, then Florida kids really would be in good shape.